So almost another year gone and still no Jota on the road! My heart sank when I looked through some pictures the other day to see that this time last year the engine was back in the frame albeit with no wheels. Still progress has been made and I’m now almost at the finish line, assuming finishing in 2023 is considered rapid!
Citroen Dyane oil cooler
The oil cooler has finally been finished and loosely installed to check it fits. It does. The hoses were sorted by the local hydraulic firm and I think the fixtures don’t look out of place unless you’re a real purist. All done for £100.
I just have to paint it black, put in some dowty washers and tighten it all up and we’re done.
As well as the oil cooler lines I’ve also got the hydraulic clutch and brakes sorted so work can continue over the Christmas period.
Time to put down the big hammers and bent screwdrivers and go inside for some punch…
Got a set of DNA air filters on recommendation from Redax via the LeClair Forum. Very nice and frankly any excuse to post a photo of my flatslides 🙂
Progress tho’ has been a bit slow but that’s because I’m waiting on oil cooler parts.
The sticking point is getting the hose which apparently is held up within the supply issues that we have here in the UK. Guess we stopped making anything years ago and no doubt the hose is stuck in a container somewhere up the Suez Canal… The engine fixtures are here tho’ but the 90 degree bend is going to have to be fixed.
That don’t look right
So the fixtures aren’t quite as elegant as the originals, although I do quite like the brass fixings to the crankcase. The problem comes tho’ with the bend which needs to be canted forward so that it picks up the line of the frame but more importantly doesn’t aim the hose into the cylinders. It can be made to work but with a bit of time can be made to work and look better.
I thought about getting out a big hammer but then calmed down and took it to an engineering firm. The chap there thought he could put it in a press and just wanted to know how many mm’s to bend it (10mm if you’re interested). I’m waiting for the job to be completed.
I’ve used my time to install the sprag clutch and wrestled unsuccessfully to install the starter motor. The holes for the starter motor are ever so slightly out and the only solution I can see is to gently open up one of the holes on the said motor. I’m hesitant because that wasn’t necessary before so why should it be now + once metal is taken away if it’s wrong then putting it back ain’t easy! Patience there’s no hurry…
I’ve also been going through all my spares and especially odds and sods putting stuff into bags for ease of future reference. Patience paid off in this instance as I found the lost M10x40x1,25mm bolt that holds the alternator in place…in amongst a jar full of BSA bolts. Why didn’t I look there before?
Bent screwdrivers, big hammers and old Laverdas 